99ts you were correct…yes it is said when anyone says :it’s not about race” – it is especially sad when a black person says this, because know that 9 times out of 10 it is about race. But I notice that a lot of young people don’t recognize this fact, I think because they didn’t experience the extreme racism and they aren’t taught (in school) about the truth about slavery/jim crow/etc. I wonder what juror #8 will say when all Dunn’s letters/phone calls/etc. is allowed during the second trial.

It is really hard for me to know what is the best thing to say COS – I have never had to face the discrimination that some see every day of their lives. I have lost out on a job because I wasn’t a male – but that wasn’t anyway life threatening – if anyone on that jury thinks race had NOTHING to do with it – they are spitting in the wind.

I’m mentally still back on the previous post, thinking about Priorities USA, Hillary and Bill Clinton and her possble run for President. I wrote Priorities a couple of weeks ago and express my (our) feelings about their not working for 2014, and warning them that they would alienate a huge grassroots group of people who were successful in helping get PBO elected twice. I hope someone read it.le n

Okay…..first a disclaimer: I don’t want Bill Clinton roaming the White House again, especially untethered to any necessary work! His foundation work is not to keep him busy. So……

Like Bob and a couple others, I’m not so sure Hillary will run. And my first reason is a personal one: her age…..I know, I know. But, there are realities of life after 65 that people don’t mention. I am 74, and in very good health FOR MY AGE. And after 65, that phrase always has to be added. A presidential race is more exhausting than any of us know, and uses up whatever stamina a person has. Stamina, quite frankly, declines as one gets older. People think I’m terrifically energetic…..and I am, in public. But, I can be because I get rest and take it easy when I’m home. I do work I love that is not too strenuous. Think of the hours PBO keeps…..how he goes like the energizer bunny…..she does not have that kind of energy, and at her age it takes much longer to recoup.

Second, she does not have the resilience or grace under pressure that is needed. This shows during a presidential race, and it showed with McCain and Romney. One good example of this lack was in the hearing on Benghazi: “What does it matter Congressman. They’re dead.” Now I totally understand that reaction, it’s exactly what I would have said, but as a candidate for Pres she cannot spout off like that and be successful. Even when he was younger, PBO would not have responded like that.

She has a lousy sense of timing. Think about what she’s done…….withholding when she should speak, and speaking when she should be quiet. She is super cautious and stuck in the 20th century.

She was a moderately successful SOS. She rebuilt bridges that had been torpedoed in the previous eight years, and laid the groundwork for what is becoming possible now. This is how she should be remembered, not as a scrappy presidential candidate, who may or may NOT be elected.

I think she’s weighing a lot of factors. I’m sure it’s nice and a good feeling to have all these people working for her now, and she delights in it I’m sure. I kind of think she’s more realistic about this than Bill is. Like someone said, he wants to ride in Air Force One again…..just like GWB.
I could be totally wet on this, but this is not a done deal. She and Bill thought it was in 2007/2008, but she had superior competition, and……she often implodes.

Carolyn, you couldn’t be more pragmatic or cogent (or self honest – a trait sorely lacking in at least one of the two people named Clinton under discussion).

My focus, however, is not on whether she is a candidate, as you all know. It is on what she DOES TO ELECT DEMS in 2014. And, I have every intention of pressing that issue with both Clintons and the swarms of sycophants and otherwise self-serving grifters currently doing everything they can to distract from the single most critical issue facing Americans – STOPPING THE KOCHS FROM OWNING THE US CONGRESS, SCOTUS & NUMEROUS STATES.

Bob, I hope you had a wonderful dinner! Thank you so much for your relentlessness in pointing out the importance, and urgency, of defeating these insane right wingers who are bent on destroying the progress this country has made under President Obama.

Thank you, Nath!!! We must do everything we each can to advance an equitable future for every American, just as President Obama has done every day since 20 Jan 2009 – despite unprecedented & vile obstruction.

not sure what i think about the clintons “helping” in 2014. i’m not convinced that either of them campaigning for a candidate is a net positive for that candidate. they are such “hot button” people, and that’s why i don’t want hillary to run for prez again, since i do not think she can win nationally.

You know, 4more, it’s not so much that I want Hillary to campaign in 2014, as I want her to speak out in a way that supports the incumbent president 100%. When Priorities USA made their decision public, I personally expected her/Bill to say ‘Wait a minute. That doesn’t make sense’, or words to that effect. I know I won’t get that, but I want Hillary to speak up and show where she stands and I want her stance to be supportive of PBO. Otherwise she should tell her minions to sit down and shut up. Or better yet, she should tell them once and for all that she is not going to be running and would they please stop bandying her name around. ;) I don’t ask much of her.

Yes, vc, this is the courage I see Hillary lacking. Everything must be polled, polled, polled, before she says anything. She should be honest, but I think she loves the adoration she’s getting…..notice how she just laughs when asked about running. She’s enjoying stringing people along.
And this is why I so appreciated Wendy Davis (see my comment down a bit) coming right out and telling Greg Abbott he should never accept or associate with Ted Nugent. Frankly, I can’t imagine Hillary doing this. In today’s climate that took courage.

Hillary loves the attention, and I dare say that if she really wants the presidency, it’s a sign to me that she lacks self-confidence. She needs something ‘big’ to validate herself. Thinking I know all that does not soften me from my stance that vis-a-vis the presidency Hillary just is not what the country/world needs and she shouldn’t run.

I’m wondering why she is so hesitant to endorse and campaign for Democrats. Could it be the internals you spoke of Bob?

I’ll tell you quite frankly, Wendy Davis has shown more courage in the time I’ve known about her than Hillary has in all the long years I’ve followed her. Today, Wendy came out forthrightly and castigated Ted Nugent for what he said, and she said no one should support a person with those beliefs, including Greg Abbott…..her probable opponent. I like her courage and grace.
She is one candidate for Governor I’m sure PBO was speaking of in his meeting, and I am sending money to her. I have a precious son and daughter in law, and three precious grandchildren in Texas. The two females certainly do not need Greg Abbott as governor. Also, the woman running for Lt. Gov is excellent, and in Texas, the Lt.Gov has real legislative power, pretty much controls the lege and what bills come to a vote and how they are handled.

Wendy Davis is a spectacular LEADER and my hope is that after she has been Governor of the State of Texas for 4 years she runs for President.

We have numerous fantastic women candidates – all over America – for Federal, State and Local offices – up for Election on 4Nov14 and electing them, and defeating the #KOCHS and their fellow plutocrats GOP/Teabagger servants must be everyone’s focus.

This mid-term must see voter turnout never seen before because this election is truly for ‘all the marbles.’

We would never have gotten to this point if President Obama and his OFA team had not prevailed in 08 and 12. But, 4Nov14 is when all that effort and all that has been achieved sits is on the line.

Wendy needs some of those competent knowledgeable staff that are jumping on the Hillary bandwagon. She is a novice at state wide campaigning and would benefit from some serious assistance. Any minor out of step and the GOP – country wide – are screaming to bring her down. Streamlining her campaign is how these folks could help.

From all I’ve gathered about her, Wendy’s a 21st-century woman who got where she is today based on her own determination, guts, leadership skills, and desire to do the right thing for her community and state – including the women of her state who are looking to be more oppressed by the RWNJs than any of us could have imagined.

Whether she makes it or not depends on a lot of factors. She can run a headliner campaign with somebody else’s advisers coming in, or she can run a grassroots campaign with the advisers of her choice, and be successful either way. It’s TX voters whom she needs to win over. What we voters from other states can do is send her regular donations from now until election time, and help draw out the voters for her.

Women in U.S. politics today within the states don’t need the big boy party bosses and political talkers to win, like the days of yore, if they have the goods. She (literally) stood up and decided she wanted to be counted, and she appears to be making her mark using her own instincts and talents. I’m sure she has supporters – many who aren’t even in her state, some of whom we know nothing about – but she’s gotten this far pretty much by just being Wendy Davis. I deeply admire her.

Yes, jb. She will have to run her campaign the “Texas way” and from what I see, she is. I will continue to send her money, especially because my adorable children and grandchildren live there, and I’m in a position to be able to help financially. Texans do not like “outsiders” running their lives or campaigns. She’s been smart so far, and I think will continue to be.

Oh yes……my d-I-l told me she attended a class and is now a deputy registrar of voters. I’m proud of her!

I agree about Wendy jacqueline – but I believe she needs some advice on campaigning to win – and for women (and men) in Texas – she really needs to win.

The President was his own man – but he also had some very good advisers – he could and can talk back the criticism but he doesn’t write the words all by himself. He probably provides more input than most other Presidents but he has and had good speechwriters. And it’s not just speechwriters. he has some really great advisers.

I look at the difference made to Palin by the RNC sorting out her wardrobe and messages – all was good – for a short while – then the true person came through. (and I am not in ANY way comparing Wendy to Palin – just saying that some professional help can be good).

Wendy is getting twisted in a couple of issues that are non-events – I think they are easy to avoid – with a little help.

I guess I agree a little with this note from wonkette

“If you are planning to give money to Wendy Davis, please send it with a note that says “Fire whoever is writing your words for you and hire someone with a personality.””
Read more at http://wonkette.com (no full link because it’s about Nugent)

Oh, my. Just seeing this about Nugent. Personal preference, but Ana Marie Cox, who started Wonkette, is way too immature and emoprog for me! She’s one of Rachel’s buddies, and they’ll twist and turn their “advice” the way the wind blows. I only watch Rachel post-2008 if she’s covering a topic that isn’t really related to President Obama. Keep in mind those types write uncensored and have usually not held public office – or worked on anyone’s campaigns – and they just have opinions, like we do. I have mine about Wendy Davis – and I think her speaking out about Ted Nugent, who was appearing with her opponent, was pitch perfect to me, because she was speaking to her voters and some who might be sick of that style of bile and hatred in TX and switch over to her! And my Democratic cousins who live there love her!

I think we’ve exhausted the topic for now. And now I’m really exhausted! Will head back to Twitter to find something soothing to read before I crash!

I cannot believe Christie saying the ONLY way his admin could/should control the relief money is via using a third party organisation (that has been fired – at what cost?)

In my world when the flood recovery effort was being done – our Premier (equiv to Governor) took top key people from a number of departments and put them in charge of the relief/recovery process. They used these people – who knew about the state & what was needed – to control and manage the whole process. When they needed people to perform some of the basic tasks they hired them from an employment agency. The agency handled the “extras” that went with the employment of these people – the government trained & supervised them. When the job was finished they were still working for the agency – not the government.

US GOP politicians are fixated with ensuring 3td parties – their friends? get any money the government can give away. It is wrong. It is not how government should operate. It is causing grief in my world in areas of essential services – but in terms of recovery from natural disasters – we got it right.

Thanks for this picture of the day, NW. Stunning, but perfect in its simplicity, especially the casual way he drapes his jacket over the chair – and it appears his tie is even loosened, for the chat. He appears to be the same person he started out being, before his desk chair was in the coveted White House Oval Office!

Helps us all realize why we’re here, and why we need to stay with him politically until 2017. And then try and track him down after that, so we can see how his life progresses!

I know some people who are truly going to miss PBO greatly after 2017: world leaders! They will miss his counsel, his sense, his empathy, his understanding, his knowledge, his diplomacy…..the list can go on.
Like others, I know and can feel that there has been a change in both our country and the world since 2009. I know many try to obscure it, or deny it, or denounce it, but in spite of them it has happened, it is good, and it is due to the vision and guidance of our precious President.

Had no idea of Hedy Lamarr’s innovative genius. Only knew of her acting because my grandfather was “in love” with her in the 1950s. He once bought a picture frame, which had her image in it, as part of the come-on. It sat like that on my grandmother’s piano … I was only about 8 or 9 but I asked my grandmother, “Who’s that woman?” And she responded, “Hedy Lamarr – your grandfather’s in love with her.”

I remember all those little “shocks” I got when I was young (my grandfather was in love with some other woman?) … #Doesn’tEverybody?

Michelle killed it on Jimmy Fallon. After the skit she came out in this fabulous black pantsuit; sleeveless, v-shaped drapped neckline and wide legs. She was so funny (Jimmy adores her and had a good time with her). She is one of a kind who has totally re-defined the role of First Lady; modern, accessible, natural, and completely herself.

Our FLOTUS was wonderful, and she looked fantastic in the black pant suit. I loved it when she said that if enough people show how they move, the President and VP Biden might show how they move. Looking forward to that one.

We will accept NOTHING but TOTAL commitment to VICTORY for DEMS on 4 Nov 2014. Anyone not committed to that outcome, irrespective of what they claim to be, is a #KOCHSTER (aka domestic terrorist) serving ONLY the avarice of US plutocrats …

Well my sister in Canada cried for the US when they lost the hockey match..so take back all your harsh words we do feel sad when you lose and Nerdy Wonka is banned until the next game..Win or lose we still love to hate you and please Cruz and Justin only got bad after they crossed the border..clean up Justin and we’ll take him back..Ted Cruz is hopeless so keep him please..off to work